Report: Louisville Adds Road Matchup vs. Western Kentucky to 2021-22 Schedule

The Hilltoppers are the latest non-conference opponent added to the Cardinals’ schedule next season.

(Photo of KFC Yum! Center: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men’s basketball program has added a road matchup with Western Kentucky to their 2021-22 schedule, and will square off on Saturday, Dec. 18, according to a report from CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

The Cardinals and Hilltoppers faced each other early last season, with Louisville coming away with a convincing 75-54 victory on Dec. 1, 2020 at the KFC Yum! Center. The Cards lead the overall series 42-39, and have won the last nine matchups dating back 2009.

This is the fourth known non-conference opponent that Louisville will face in the 2021-22 season. They will host Navy on Tuesday, Nov. 9, and travel to both Kentucky and Cincinnati, but dates have not yet been announced for either contest. The Cardinals will also play a yet to be named opponent as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

This past season, WKU went 21-8 and 11-3 in Conference-USA play under fifth-year head coach Rick Stansbury. Led by All Conference-USA selections Charles Bassey and Taveoin Hollingsworth, the Hilltoppers earned a No. 3 seed in the NIT, winning 69-67 against Saint Mary's in the first round, but falling 72-65 to Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals.

Louisville opened up the 2020-21 season at 9-1, and were ranked as high as the No. 16 team in the nation. But due to COVID issues, injuries, and at times offensive inconsistencies, they went 4-6 in the second half of the season to finish at 13-7 and 8-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference - missing the NCAA Tournament by a razor-thin margin.

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